BOW STRING CALCULATION

PROJECT:

1.0 Scope
This worksheet is designed to estimate the forces in bow string and shackle elevations for different stages of startup
analysis.
Following are the main steps used for the analysis:
1) Run the OFFPIPE using assumed shackle elevation for particular number of joints off the Barge Stern.
2) Revise other OFFPIPE inputs if necessary to achieve desired stress level.
3) Run the MathCAD worksheet using cable angle, tension and elevation from OFFPIPE Output.

kN 10 N

ORIGIN 1

2.0 Inputs:
L := 60.96 m

_bow string length

EL1 := 4.572 m

_elevation of top attachment point

File : bow string.xmcd

Page 1 of 5

Date: 18/12/2013

EL2 := 30.00 m

_elevation of bottom attachment point

B := 10

_jacket leg batter (1 in ......)

Elevation, cable angle and tension at tie-off shackle (Extracted from OFFPIPE Output)
n := 5

i := 1 .. n

_no of steps

Stepi :=

Nodei :=

EL i :=

i :=

Ts :=
i

84

18.50 m

7.30 deg

178.23 kN

2
3

108
133

24.30 m
27.60 m

17.17 deg
23.29 deg

212.60 kN
251.25 kN

4
5

157
181

27.40 m
28.07 m

22.84 deg
24.29 deg

340.48 kN
339.31 kN

3.0 Calculations
EL 1 EL 2

h1 :=

h1 = 3.457 m

_horizontal dist. between EL 1 and EL 2

3.1 Calculation of Horizontal Distance between EL1 and EL

L

h :=

h = 30.480 m

_horizontal distance between EL1 and EL (initial assumed value for solving equation)

2
L1 :=

( EL1 ELi) 2 + h2

_length of upper portion of bow string

L2 :=

( ELi EL2) 2 + ( h h1) 2

_length of lower portion of bow string

L1 =

L2 =

38.228

29.368

41.984

27.617

44.318

27.129

44.173

27.148

44.660

27.092

Equation for solving "h" from L = L 1 + L2

hsol := root

File : bow string.xmcd

( EL1 ELi) 2 + h2 + ( ELi EL2) 2 + ( h h1) 2 L , h

Page 2 of 5

Date: 18/12/2013

hi := hsol
i

hi =
m

1
1

26.543

25.298

24.088

24.173

23.881

3.2 Check for Angle

xt := hi
i

yt := EL1 EL i
i

xt =
i

yt =
i
1

26.543

23.072

25.298

28.872

24.088

32.172

24.173

31.972

23.881

32.642

yt
i
t := atan
xt
i
i

t =

_angle made by top bow string w.r.t. horizontal

1
1

40.998

48.774

53.177

52.908

53.811

deg

xb := hi h1
i

yb := EL 2 EL i
i

xb =
i

yb =
i
1

23.086

11.500

21.841

5.700

20.631

2.400

20.716

2.600

20.424

1.930

File : bow string.xmcd

Page 3 of 5

Date: 18/12/2013

 yb
i
b := atan
xb
i
i

t :=
i

b =

_angle made by bottom bow string w.r.t. horizontal

deg

1
1

26.480

14.627

6.636

7.154

5.398

+ i t if EL i < EL1
i

_angle made by top bow string w.r.t. cable

i + t otherwise
i

b :=

i + b if EL i < EL 2
i

_angle made by bottom bow string w.r.t. cable

i b otherwise
i

t =

b =

deg

146.3

146.2

148.4

148.2

150.1

150.1

149.9

150.0

150.5

150.3

deg

Values of t & b should be almost equal for force equilibrium at shackle tie-off location.
If not, then revise the assumed bow string length and / or assumed shackle node and re-run the worksheet
3.3 Calculation of Forces in Bow String
i :=

t b if EL i < EL2
i
i

_angle between top and bottom bow string

t + b otherwise
i
i
sint
i
Tbow := Ts
i
i sin( i)

_tension in bow string

Ht := Tbow cost
i
i
i

_horizontal force at EL 1

File : bow string.xmcd

Page 4 of 5

Date: 18/12/2013

Hb := Tbow cosb
i

i =

_horizontal force at EL 2

Tbow =
1

67.478

63.401

59.813

60.062

59.209

File : bow string.xmcd

Ht =

deg

Hb =

kN

kN

107.050

80.794

95.819

124.601

82.115

120.563

144.838

86.808

143.868

196.859

118.724

195.327

194.625

114.918

193.762

Page 5 of 5

kN

Date: 18/12/2013